Oscillating steam-engine



(Nq Model.) 4 Sheetw-Sheet 1.

W. A. GRAHAM;

OSGILLATING STEAM ENGINE.

No. 413,506. Patented Oct. 22, 1889 (No Model..)' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. A. GRAHAM.

OSCILLATING STEAM ENGINE.

No. 413,506. Patented Oct. 22, 1889.

Q'tvteode? (No Model.)

I 4Sheets-Sheet3.. W. A. GRAHAM.

OSGILLATING STEAM ENGINE. No. 413,506. Patented-Oct. 22, 1889.

' Y UNITED STATES PATENTOFFIGE.

. WILLIAM A. GRAHAM, OF OARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

OSCILLATING STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IjPatent No. 413,506, dated October 22, 1889.

Application filed April 16, 1889.; $eria1lI0. 307,509. (No made.)

. 1t 60% whom it may concern:

' following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in steam-engines, the object being to provide an engine which shall be compact in form, powerful and steady in action, composed of few parts, simple in construction, of great efficiency in'its operation, and of comparatively small initial cost in its manufacture.

With these ends in view my invention consists, first, in an oscillating steam-engine comprising .an oscillating cylinder, a valve-chest contiguous thereto, and a tapering balanced valve, with connections for oscillating said valve simultaneously with but in an opposite direction from the motions of the chest in which the valve is fitted.

The invention further consists in an oscillating engine having an oscillating cylinder supported on hollow trunnions, and live-steam i and exhaust pipes locatedloosely within the trunnions in such a manner that a steam-tight joint is automatically formed by the impact of the steam upon the pipes.

The invention further consists in an oscillating steam-engine provided with a suitable cylinder, a cylindrical valv'echest, a tapering valve supported in tapering bearings within this valve-chest, said valve having ports therein, and means for admitting steam to balance pressure, and ports in the cylinder for the passage of live and exhaust steam.

The invention still further consists in an oscillating cylinder employed in combination with a cylindrical valve-chest, a tapering osci1- lating valve, and means for automatically moving the valve within the valve-chest, but

in a contrary direction, and in so doing regu-.

lating the throw of the valve to admit and discharge more or less steam.

The invention still further consists in certain features of construction for compensating for wearing of the valve or the interior of the valve-chest, for preventing the valve from sticking, and forlubricating the various parts having frictional contact, and in other novel features of construction and comblnations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is aplan view,partly in section, on line 50 0c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a shapes; but the preferred form is L-shaped.

This frame is provided with suitable pillowblocks which furnish bearings for the trunnions.

13 represents the cylinder, having the hollow trunnions 1 1 supported in pillow-blocks 2 2, whereon the cylinder oscillates, in the accustomed manner of engines of this character. Boxes 3 3 are held down by bolts or other means over the trunnions to keep them in their bearings, and on these boxes 3 3 oilcups 4 are located for supporting a lubricator to the trunnions.

Piston G is fitted to reciprocate in the cylinder, and this piston may have the usual packing-ring 5 to insure a steam-tight fit within its walls. The piston-rod 6 extends from the piston forward through the adjustable packing-rings 6 on the end of the cyl- ,inder to the fly-wheel 7, where it is connected directly by means of the strap-head8 to one of the spokes of the wheel. provided with an enlarged or webbed spoke 9, andthe strap-head is connected with a wrist 10, projecting from this webbed spoke. The rotary shaft 12, on one end of which this fly-- wheel is held, is supported in the pillow-block 13, and to the opposite end of this shaft a band-wheel 14 is affixed. A cap 15 is fastened over this shaft, and an oil-box 16 therein supplies a lubricator for the shaft.

Returning .to the cylinder B, it will be observed that a cylindrical valve-chest 17 is located over the cylinder, which preferably extends at right angles to it. The central portion of the interior of this chest is linedsection. Fig. 5 is a modified form of device The fly-wheel is tapers slightly from one end to the other and is adapted to receive the tapering valve-1 9, which is neatly fitted to the lining to turn smoothly therein and at the same time prevent the leakage of steam between it and the lining. The valve consists of a hollow tapering drum made solid through the middle,

, where it joins the axle 20, and having recessed or excavated ends. The smaller end 21 of this valve is beveled, and the larger end 22 is square or enlarged to furnish an abutment for the pressure of steam from the live-steam duct. Two ports 23 23 are formed in the valve extending from the inside to the exterior, and between these ports an exhaustport 24: is cut in the valve. These ports are adapted to register with steam-ducts 25 25, which lead to the opposite ends of the cylinder and to the exhaust-duct 26, and control the passage of steam in these ducts. A livesteam duct 27 leads from one of the trunnions 1 to the valve-chest, and the exhaust-steam duct 26 leads in the opposite direction into the othertrunnion 1. Diametrically opposite the exhaust-duct 26 there is formed in the valve a chamber 26, and ports leading to this recess supply steam for balancing the valve and equalizing the pressure. When the heads 28 29 are screwed onto the ends of the chest, the latter is steam-tight, and steam upon entering through live-steam ducts 27 is made to pass alternately into one or the other of the ducts 25, accordingly as the ports of the valve 19 register with one or the other of these ducts. The steam is fed and discharged through similar pipes 19 19. These pipes extend loosely through screwplugs 19 in the trunnions 1 1, where they are held by said plugs In order to form a steam-tight joint, the inner ends of these screw-plugs are ground off perfectly true and smooth, and the inner ends of the pipes 19 are furnished with a collar 19, similarly ground on the side adjacent to the plug, so that the two fit each other perfectly and are held tightly together by the back-pressure of steam against the ends of the pipes, thus forming a steam-tight joint. The valve-rod 20 is supported in the head 28 of the valve-chest, from which it projects out a short distance through the adjustable packing-box 31. The valve-rod 2O terminates at the opposite end a short distance from the head 29, and a set-screw 33 in the center of this head is adapted to be turned slightly to bear on the end of the valve-rod to guard against the valve sticking,which otherwise might result, owing to the tapering form of the valve, and due to the fact that the greatest pressure of steam is always on the opposite end, where the tendency is to force the valve in the direction of its taper.

An upright support 34=is located at one end of the valve-chest, and preferably secured to the pillow-block 2 adjacent thereto. A stem 35 extends loosely into this support, Where it is fitted to reciprocate up and down with the motion of the engine. Slide-block 36 is affixed to this -stem,and thisblock is guided in its motions in the elongated slot 37. A cylindrical bolt 38 fits in this slide-block, and is intended to rock slightly with the motion of the engine. Sleeve 39, with a cylindrical bore, is affixed to the inner end of this bolt, and an arm 40, of corresponding size and shape with the bore of said sleeve, projects from the axle 20 of the valve, to which it is held fast by a set-screw and pin through the sleeve 39, where the two have sliding contact with each other. Thus the reciprocations of the stem 35 regulate the throw of the valve, and to control the speed of the engine it is important that some mechanism should be employed for automatically varying the length of reciprocations of the stem, for, as will be observed, when the stem is depressed to its utmost, the. throw of the valve is most re stricted, and when the stem is elevated to its utmost thethrow of the valve is the greatest, and when the stem is at different elevations between these two extremes the throw of the valve is correspondingly changed.

The ball-governor 4:1 is adopted as a practical means for changing the valve, though it should be understood that I do not confine myself to the use of any particular form of governor, as many other varieties would be equally as effective as this one; and, indeed, as will appear from the modification to be presently described, a governor is not absolutely necessary, as other devices might be used; but the governor employed is supported on a rotary shaft 43, and the latter is driven by bevel gear-whee1s 44 45, and these wheels are driven by a belt extending from pulley 47 on the main shaft 12 to pulley 48 on the small shaft 49, which carries gear-wheel 45. From the governor a lever 50, fulcrumed on arm 51, extends across to the stem 35, and here the two are loosely connected with each other, so that the faster the governor is driven the farther outward the balls extend, due to the IIO centrifugal force and the higher the connected end of lever 50 is raised. This results in depressing the opposite end of the lever, and, as previously explained, the stem is depressed and the throw of the valve is decreased, so that less steam is taken; This retards the motion of the engine and the balls fall and the contrary effect is felt on the valve, and consequently more steam is taken. Thus the speed is always regulated automatically.

The modification is merelyadopted as being most convenient for very small enginesas,

for instance, a one or one and a half horsepower. Itconsists in substituting for the plain stem 35, above described, a screw-threaded stem with a handle 52 on the end, by which it is turned backward or forward, and in dispensing with the governor entirely and its connected mechanism. Otherwise the parts are precisely alike and operate as described.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I cating ducts,whereby steam is admitted to and exhausted from the opposite ends of the cylinder, of a tapering valve fitted to the walls of the valve-chest, said valve having ports therein for directing the passage of steam, at steam-balancing chamber between the valve and its seat, a stationary device, and sliding connections between the stationary device and valve,whereby the throw of the latter is regulated by the oscillation of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In an oscillating steam-engine, the combination,with an oscillating cylinder mounted on hollow trunnions, and a valve-chest int-egral with the cylinder, the said parts having communicating ducts, whereby steam is admitted to and exhausted fI'OlItllhG opposite ends of the cylinder, and also duct-s leading from the latter into the trunnions for'the live and exhaust steam, of a tapering valve fitted to the walls of the valve-chest, said valve having ports therein for directing the passage of steam, at steam-balancing chamber between the valve and its seat, a stationary device, and sliding connections between the stationarydevice and valve, whereby the throw of the latter is regulated by the oscillations ofthe cylinder, substantially as set forth. T

3. In an oscillating steam-engine, the combination, with an oscillating cylinder, a valvechest, and valve, of reciprocating stem and means for connecting said stem loosely with the valve, whereby motion of the valve and engine is regulated, substantially as set forth.

4. In an oscillating steam-engine, the combination, with an oscillating steam-cylinder, a valve-chest, and valve, of a slotted standard, a reciprocating stem, a slide-block, said block and the valve having sliding jointed connection with each other, and means for automatically raising and lowering the stem, whereby the throw of the valve and the motion of the engine are regulated, substantially as set forth.

5. In an oscillating steam-engine, the combination,with a frame, pillow-blocks, an oscillating cylinder supported on said blocks, a valve-chest,-valve,piston, piston-rod,fly-wheel, rotary drive-shaft, and pulleys, of a standard secured to the frame, a slide-block and reciprocating stem, said block having sliding connection with the valve, a governor for operating the stem, and a belt for operating the governor from the drive-shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM A. GRAHAM. Witnesses:

V. E. HODGES,

S. G. NOTTINGHAM. 

